NC governor won’t run for second term

posted at 10:25 am on January 26, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

Democrats chose North Carolina as their host state for the 2012 election after delivering a surprisingly strong showing in 2008. Barack Obama became the first Democrats to win the state since Jimmy Carter, and Bev Purdue won the gubernatorial election in a narrow but significant 3-point victory. Democrats hoped that by staging their convention in Charlotte, they could solidify their gains and raise the stature of Democratic officials in North Carolina.

North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) is set to announce today that she will not seek reelection in 2012, according to two sources familiar with her plans.

Perdue, who turned 65 earlier this month, was set for a rematch of her 2008 race with former Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory (R), but she has been plagued by low approval ratings and faced some tough odds this year.

Instead of making a triumphant entry into Charlotte and lifting Perdue to re-election, Democrats from around the country will have their convention opened by a one-term governor who couldn’t win re-election even with a Democratic presidential incumbent on the top of the ticket and her party spending a ton of money in her state. That’s not exactly a winning message for Democrats this summer.

Update: As two commenters have pointed out, Perdue made those comments last year, not in 2010, and meant them for the 2012 Congressional elections. I’ve fixed it above.

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Comments

Thank you for your post.
I hope your are right about the populace leaning right due to the fact that so many in this state are declaring themselves Independent.

I don’t believe Obama will win NC and watching these democrats dropping out of a State where they are holding the Convention tells me that they know the people of NC are not buying the “Hope and Change” line from this White House.

Remember that Perdue was the queen of Veto’s and was hell bent on raising taxes at every turn.
..out of control spending….state losing money…losing jobs….and the democrats answer is “let’s raise taxes”…..

Perdue’s promised tax increase mirrors the same pledge made by Rep. Bill Faison (D-Orange) who appears to be setting himself up for a primary challenge to Perdue. He also called for increasing the sales tax.

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) pointed that out in a press release reacting to Perdue’s pledge.

“Obviously, Gov. Perdue’s attempt to nip this economic recovery in the bud is dead on arrival at the General Assembly,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham). “The Democratic primary for governor apparently has devolved into a fight over who can raise the most taxes, spend the most money, and grow the biggest government. Gov. Perdue’s latest tax-hike stunt proves she can’t fix this mess she made.”

Berger said The Governor seemed to be wanting to one up Faison. Sen. Berger noted while Faison would raise the tax by $700 million, Perdue’s proposal would up it by $750 million.

House Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg) issued the following statement today regarding Gov. Bev Perdue’s proposal to raise $750 million in new taxes:

“Governor Perdue continues to show that she is out of touch with North Carolinians and lacks a basic understanding of our economy. Her proposal, which would raise the state portion of the sales tax by an estimated 15%,

I live in Charlotte & I can attest: the only reason Obama carried the state in 2008 (if, in fact, he did, I’m suspicious of voter fraud) was solely because of the anti-Republican vibe. No way does Obama carry it in 2012 (and it will not be close enough to cheat).
If you don’t believe me, take this into account: the only reason Bev Perdue won the Governorship was based on the same anti-Republican vibe as well — see how well that’s working out for her.

As another Charlottean, allow me to add: There is surprisingly little angst here from local Democrats over Perdue’s announcement. No one is willing to go out on a limb to defend her term as governor and surprisingly few people are willing to admit that they even voted for her. Everyone KNOWS she’s been a bad governor; everyone KNOWS she’s as dumb as a bag of rocks; and most people KNOW that she and her subordinates have engaged in criminal behavior.

The only real question is whether any new Democrat candidate for the office can build up enough momentum to defeat Pat McCrory, who’s widely seen as a shoo-in for the GOP nomination even though he’s a MASSIVE RINO.

KHF, when you consider how many advantages Obumble had in 2008, since I cannot believe the answer to your question is anything but NONE, I cannot help but think his re-election is well nigh impossible.

I have long believed that only MD, NJ, DC, everything north of NY (except maybe NH), the 3 Pacific coast states, and probably MI and IL will go for Obama.

The entire rest of the country goes red.

NV only went blue in 2010 to hold Reid’s seat. The Rust Belt are in tough economic times, and common sense still reigns supreme there, and Obumble has demonstrated a disastrous energy policy that might have helped them the old-fashioned way if he had gotten out of his own obtuse way.

The semi-Latino states in CO, NM and AZ are far more conservative in their work ethic than responsive to Obumbles’ patronizing pandering to the environmentalists, IMO. While these energy-development concerns are in some ways real dilemmas, there is no question that Obama has been more anti development than necessary.

That’s why it has always bothered me that the most capable (R) Presidential candidates didn’t enter the race. At this point we must take the person who will be most electable, when the incumbent has left the door so wide open we should have had a choice for the candidate who could best solidify our return to common sense.

I think Bev got the memo from the Democratic Party Machine. “Bev, sweetie, don’t drag the party down this year running for office while defending yourself against multiple campaign finance law violations.”

Three aides indicted. One has already agreed to plead guilty. Same type of violations as former Dem Governor Mike Easley who was given the choice to plead guilty to a felony. (And jumped on it like a duck on a June Bug. Or is it ‘as a Duck on a June Bug.’ What ev)

It could be argued that New York is the most dysfunctional state in the Union; however, unfortunately, with Perdue as its governor, North Carolina would have to get some consideration in the debate.

In the last 40+ years there has been only one Republican governor in New York after Rockefeller. What’s happened to New York in those years? In the 1968 Presidential election New York had 43 electoral votes. For the 2012 election cycle, it will have 27. What party governed the state and controlled the Assembly during the decline of the Empire state?

If New York was a fiscally responsible state and the 43 electoral votes remained, a projection of a 60 to 70 electoral state would not be beyond possibility. A population now represented by just 27 congressional districts is a long ways from one of more than 60.

With Medicaid costs over $1 billion a week, how will New York ever participate in an economic renewal? How can any business base support such taxation? Unbelievable amounts of money flow out from New York’s family and personal treasuries to pay local and school taxes on top of state income taxes—the word punitive comes to mind. If it were not for the financial industry, New York would be in the abyss.

At least North Carolina has a chance to recover if it goes back to fiscal responsible state government in this election cycle. If the Tar Heels don’t act in the coming election cycle, then they too may be on the fatal trend of The People’s Democratic Socialist Republic of New York.